2/5/23 (60 min)
In the balancing seat we usually “borrow a king” from our partner. Since NT bids are precisely defined this point change to our hand dramatically affects our bidding. Here we look at our balancing NT bids and the followup bidding that partner makes.
12/5/22 (65 min)
The modern system for bidding when we have a fit for partner's minor, called inverted minors, works on improving our ability to look for game or slam in a minor suit -- which is the most common time we want to support a minor suit. Make sure you and partner have a good grasp of these methods, both for playing them and playing against them.
12/12/22 (66 min)
One of the most powerful tools we have in competitive bidding is the preemptive raise. When we have a minor suit fit the opponents will often have a major suit fit. We want to make it as difficult as possible for them to find that fit and using preemptive raises is one the best ways to make their life difficult.
12/19/22 (69 min)
There are certain minor suit hands that can play extremely well in NT contracts. If evaluated correctly these hands can be bid in a way that makes the auction relatively simple. Let's make sure that you do not torture your partner with these hands when you could keep it simple and get to the right contract.
12/27/22 (63 min)
When we have a good hand and a minor suit fit then we may want to explore a minor suit slam. Part of the art form of minor suit slam bidding is using tools to explore slam while keeping a NT contract in the picture. Here we look at how to use these tools and better judge our minor suit slam.
10/5/21 (72 min)
Here we look at simple overcalls in depth. We focus on the differences in what is needed to make a 1-Level vs. a 2-Level Overcall -- from suit quality differences to overall playing strength. We look at why there is such a difference in the requirements for these two actions.
10/12/21 (72 min)
When our RHO opens the bidding and we have a hand that qualifies for a couple of different actions then we need to make the best choice, not just the first one that comes to our mind. Here we look at how the location of our honors helps us make these decisions.
10/19/21 (64 min)
When we have a balanced opening hand but before we can open the bidding RHO bids in front of us, then we have to change our plan. Here we look at our options for how we do so, with a focus on an option that many players overlook -- overcalling a 4-card suit.
10/26/21 (72 min)
Here we look at our tools for showing 2-suited hands when the opponent's open the bidding with 1-suit -- Michaels & Unusual NT. We also discuss the equally important times when we should not use these tools and our other options.
When the opponent's have bid and it has gone two passes to us ,then we are in the balancing seat - the last line of defense for our side. Here we look at how to approach the bidding in this situation and in what other situations we take a similar approach to competing in the bidding.
When we are battling the opponent's for the contract we are often faced with difficult choices in the bidding. Here we look at how we use each of our options (Bid, X, or Pass) in the direct seat and in the balancing seat.
